'You are the people's army... with discipline and unity, we will succeed'

REFORM UK leader Nigel Farage closed a celebratory conference with a plea for unity and for people to stand as candidates, as the insurgent party works for its biggest electoral breakthrough yet.

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He urged the thousands of supporters in the hall and watching online to avoid public rows and to strive for success in the looming elections for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, as well as councils across Britain.

The confidence of Mr Farage and his team on stage contrasted sharply with the difficulties which have rocked Sir Keir Starmer's Government in the wake of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner's resignation.

As the Reform conference neared its end, more changes to Labour's team were announced as part of a sweeping reshuffle.

In the latest sign the PM wants a new approach to tackling the small boats crisis, he moved Dame Angela Eagle and Dame Diana Johnson from their roles in the Home Office — a day after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s exit to the Foreign Office.

In Birmingham, Mr Farage told the audience: "[You] are the people's army - and to succeed it needs one thing: discipline.

“Can we please exercise discipline and air our disagreements between each other in private and not in public? If we do that we will succeed.”